Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to splice protectors for optical fiber splicing such as splicing of fiber optic ribbons, where the splice protector surrounds and supports the splice to provide structural reinforcement to the area of the splice.
Splice protectors may be bulky and rigid, interfering with the ability to wind a spliced fiber optic ribbon on a reel or spool, or the ability to place the spliced ribbon in a narrow cavity, such as the cavity of a furcation tube or fiber optic distribution cable. A need exists for a splice protector that may be applied to a splice of spliced optical fibers optic in a time- and space-efficient manner, while allowing the spliced fibers at the splice to actively flex and bend, as may facilitate placement of the spliced fibers in an actively handled fiber optic assembly.